Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Saudi Arabia has permitted Pakistan’s national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), to operate two new weekly flights to Al-Qassim province, the kingdom’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement.
The flights between the northern Saudi region and Pakistan’s Multan would start on November 19, Arab news reported . “Al-Qassim will be PIA’s fifth destination in Saudi Arabia and will be a convenient location for Pakistani expatriates residing in the northern parts of the kingdom,” GACA said.
The announcement comes days after Pakistani Ambassador Raja Ali Ejaz’s meeting with GACA president Abdulhadi Al-Mansouri, during which they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the aviation sector and possibilities for PIA’s expansion in the kingdom.
Al-Qassim is located approximately 400 kilometers northwest of Riyadh. Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Buraidah serves as the region’s international airport. With the new destination, PIA will be operating 42 weekly flights to Saudi Arabia. It already flies to Madinah, Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah.
PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan said last week that demand for Saudi flights is rising as “more and more Pakistani nationals wanted to travel to the kingdom,” especially for employment opportunities.
